On Easter Sunday
we'd roll hard boiled eggs
down hillsides
their painted shells would crack,
the beach over-run
by happy clapping gospel missions
and donkey rides,
I knew then "He's not coming back"
In another land
I saw a fractured child
broken by the war
cast aside by righteous rule...
such an act of inhumanity
there could be
no reason for,
save the rantings of a fool.
The subtle structure and rhyming builds up to an immense impact in the final line, David.
Thanks Flyntland and to all those who sent likes.
I think it important to recognise that although there are many passages of text in religious scripture that endorse harm, it is the actions of mankind that manifest the text.
There is choice.
We should not forget that religious texts were written by men in order to control and direct the masses.
As for so called "evil" I suspect its potential exists within us all...
David RL Moore
PS, The issue I have with the word evil, is that it implies a force outside of the human which somehow possesses them.
It suggests absolution/excuse for individual actions by proposing such an external entity.
I left my Faith School at fifteen - naive and uneducated -and breathed a huge sigh of relief the day I left.
Never again would i be made to go to Confession. I no longer had to give a reason as to why I missed Mass, I did not have to observe 'Holy Days of Obligation' but best of all I did not have to believe the unbelievable just because we were told to.
As quite a young child I felt that the rituals and responses were a disguised way of asserting control - escape was sweet.
Evil is buried in many religions,
'With God On My Side" (any God will do) invasions can be justified at any level from an individual child to vast continents.
Thankyou for the likes and for your comment Graham.
I was indoctrinated into an evangelical form of Christianity from a very early age Graham. Sunday school became a form of torture for me. I simply could not understand some of the fundamental building blocks of the belief system.
As for what makes men evil or otherwise, I have never managed to fathom that...other than there is little doubt of the gulf between the two states.
Evil, with it's religious connotations is a contentious word...I think few people give that much thought, that said it describes the affiliation well.
I'm not sure if you recall, years ago I posted a poem and used a photograph of a murdered child on a beach in Gaza to impact upon the reader. I remember you didn't much like what I had done (a position I respect)
That image (together with my personal experience in Gaza) is the well I drew from whilst writing this piece.
Thanks again.
David RL Moore
I have spent my life questioning and challenging what I learned at Sunday School. I am left wondering just what it is that makes people either good or evil
If you wish to post a comment you must login.
This site uses only functional cookies that are essential to the operation of the site. We do not use cookies related to advertising or tracking. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
David RL Moore
Wed 23rd Apr 2025 09:36
Thank you Stephen, and to those who sent recent likes.
David RL Moore